Unlike the other robots we saw at CES 2025, Mi-Mo doesn’t have a face, but it still looks familiar thanks to its resemblance to the iconic Pixar lamp. The Mi-Mo is still just a prototype, but there are some interesting ideas behind the odd-looking robot roaming the show floor.
Created by Japanese company Jizai, the company describes it as a “general-purpose AI robot” that “thinks and acts” on its own. It has a built-in camera and microphone, allowing it to move and respond to voice prompts and commands. It works with many major language models that power its voice and image recognition capabilities.
When we saw it, Mi-Mo didn’t show many signs of independence. It was very shiny in the exhibition area and “rocked” the passers-by, which was really nice. Jizai’s Yuji Oshima told me that the company sees it as useful for other childcare tasks, such as reminding kids to do their homework and monitoring them to make sure they actually finish it. (Jizai’s website notes that the company is also interested in using robots to care for the elderly.)
But Mi-Mo is not meant to be a caring robot. Oshima said it is intended to be an open platform for developers, researchers and others to find their own ways to use the robot. Jizai also aims for it to be somewhat modular so people can customize the Mi-Mo with bespoke software, additional sensors or other hardware attachments.
Jizai plans to make the Mi-Mo available as a developer kit later this year and has opened a waiting list where interested parties can sign up for updates.